Monday, 22 March 2010

moment


Her confident scales shimmer,

blinding,

in rainbow hue. A metallic perfection

in a haze of spray, a moment of light, leaping with all her might.

She does not see the cold, sharp talon; or hear the reeling excitement above.

A contented moment, not thought beyond.

Then the suddenness.

Her pierced slippery body in fight -

flapping and squealing,

jerking and shaking,

shuddering

in quick spasms of breath.

As the blankness comes, her eyes fixing down,

darkness descending,

she is vaguely aware of the sails -

of the whooping joy...

before she is thrown back -

confused, disorientated, scared.

Slipping back, below the surface

of her lost innocence.

3 comments:

Leigh Russell said...

Many levels of meaning here. How long did it take you to write it?

Leigh Russell said...

by the way - I see you are a writer who works in education, two children - same as me! One of the characters in my recent crime thriller is a grumpy middle aged teacher... based on me? Whatever gives people that idea?

Anonymous said...

Congatulations on your success. I never send anything off to publishers - but I might do one day. I feel like an English Teacher cliche - dreaming of published-dom.
It took me aboutfifteen minutes to write 'Moment'- but then it was redrafted twice. I love playing with language and meaning.